NEWS OF THE DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26083, 21 February 1946, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Anniversary Day The opinion that Anniversary Day (March 23) was an annual occasion that should be appreciated in its full significance was expressed by several members of the Otago Education Board yesterday. It was decided to draw the attention of head teachers to the anniversary, and to ask them to give it the fullest recognition. “ I have always held that Anniversary Day should be a holiday in the schools,” said the chairman (Mr James Wallace). Mr D. C. Cameron and Mr W. R. Brugh urged that everything possible should be done to enable the young generation to appreciate adequately the heritage that had been built for Ih'em by the pioneers of the province. The board commended the Presbytery of Duliedin for its activity in stressing the national and -spiritual significance of the day. No Further Cases No further cases of infantile paralysis were reported to the Department of Health yesterday. There has been only one case this week, and the total since the outbreak of the disease remains at 38. Concession to Servicemen Payments of an intermittent nature made from the patriotic funds to exservice personnel are not to be taken into account in assessing income for oension purposes or social security benefits. The National Patrotic Fund Board, has received this advice from the Minister of Defence, Mr F. Jones, on behalf of the Prime Minister. Size Limit for Trout Fishing The Department of Internal Affairs is in favour of increasing the size limit of trout to 12 inches. In a letter giving the department’s view, received at a meeting of the Southland Acclimatisation Society, the acting conservator of fish and game, Mr J. D. Knowles, said it was likely that after the close of the present seasdn it would be found that there were other amendments to the regulations which should be put into effect in order that where possible there would be uniformity in the regulations of contiguous districts. Rdyal New Zealand Navy The Minister of Defence, Mr F. Jones, announced yesterday that a departmental committee had been set up by the Naval Board to investigate the whole question of conditions generally and the rates of pay and allowances in the Royal New Zealand Navy. Mr Jones added that it had been found that the present system was extremely cumbersome, and the whole position would be examined with a view to introducing a more simplified procedure. Similar examinations would take place in the army and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Quality of Tyre* Motor tyres cost double the price charged for them before the war, and gave only half the mileage, Mr A. Sinclair, a representative of the taxi industry, stated in evidence before the Auckland Metropolitan Licensing Authority on Tuesday. He said that 70 per cent, of present-day tyres developed "wall” trouble and therefore could not be retreaded. “ For taxis with an allowance of only 120 gallons a month,” said Mr Sinclair, the Transport Department allows six new tyres a year and unlimited retreads —that shows what the department thinks about the present quality of tyres.” Service in Japan “I can see very little difference,” commented the chairman, Mr J. H. Frater, when the Auckland Harbour Board was discussing whether members of the staff enlisting for service in Japan should receive treatment distinct from those who served during the war. The board decided that members of the staff who had served with the board for a year at February 1, 1946, should be given leave of absence and have pay made up if they joined the occupation force. Mr H. R. Mackenzie was the only member of the board to speak against the decision, stating that the occupation was not war service. Municipal Organ Recital Mr G E. Wilkinson, guest organist, will give an after-church recital in the Town Hall on Sunday evening, when the following programme will be presented:—Overture, Tenth Organ Concerto (Handel); Sonata No. 6, (a) Variations on a Chorale, (b) Fugue, (c) Andante (Mendelssohn); Andante in F from Clavier Sonata in D minor (Bach); Intermezzo (T. Noble); Pastorale (Nieland); “ Sous Bois ” (Durand-Guilmant); and March from “Tannhauser” (Wdgner). Mr Wilkinson will be assisted by Miss Chase Clarke, who will play Prelude and Fugue in D (Bach-Busoni). There will be no charge for admission. Teachers and J-Force

Inquiries had been made by one or two teachers in Otago regarding service with the N.Z.E.F. Brigade for Japan, said the secretary of the Otago Education Board (Mr G. W. Carrington) at the monthly meeting of the board yesterday. No one had made application, however. The board received advice from the Department of Education that certificated teachers could be granted leave of absence by the board. This would be regarded as leave on active service, and grading would be safeguarded. Training College students would not be granted leave because it would involve an undue interruption of their training. Training for Shop Staffs The question of establishing a training school for shop staffs will be discussed at the annual conference of the New Zealand Retailers’ Federation, which will open at Queenstown on Sunday The New Zealand Draper and Allied Retailer says it is proposed during the first year of the scheme to establish a day school in Wellington with an experienced principal from Australia and to hold Do-minion-wide correspondence courses. After the first year branches of the staff college are to be opened in Auckland Christchurch, Dunedin, and other centres desiring it. The journal refers to the steadily encroaching spirit of sales indifference bred by war-time conditions. Parents and Arithmetic An inquiry by parents for copies of the new arithmetic text-books issued by the Department of Education was discussed in a letter from the department which was before the Otago Education Board at its monthly meeting yesterday. The letter stated that both the department and some boards had received requests from adults, mainly parents for copies of the new textbooks. In view of the inroads that the meeting of such requests would make on the limited reserve stocks, however, it was not possible to supply parents with additional books, even by sale. Where it was reasonable during the year, children were to be allowed to take their copies home. The letter added that requests made through the department for the supply of text-books to private schools and schools controlled by the department should be met.

Vessels Built for United States The fate of a number of small vessels which were built in Auckland for the United States Navy, but which were not wanted after the end of the war with Japan, is still uncertain. So far as can be ascertained in Auckland (says a Press Association telegram), nothing will be done about these surplus craft until the present negotiations between the New Zealand and the American Governments over the whole question of lend-lease and reverse lend-lease supplies are concluded. In the meantime the vessels, which include five 75-foot steel tugs, three 114-foot powered lighters, and two 45-foot kauri tow boats, are lying in various parts of the Auckland Harbour and at the shipyards. A fourth powered lighter is at Port Chalmers, where it was built. The total cost of these boats, built under war-time conditions, exceeds £250,000.